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Mayor Eric Adams "leery about sending the wrong message" by changing vaccine mandate for athletes in New York

Mayor Adams says city's vaccine mandate unfair to Kyrie Irving 01:11

NEW YORK -- Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving's vaccination status became the topic of conversation at City Hall on Wednesday.

As an unvaccinated player, Irving can't play in home games at the Barclays Center, or at Madison Square Garden, as was the case Wednesday night as the Nets visited the Knicks.

Visiting unvaccinated players are allowed to play in New York, however. Wednesday on ESPN, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called the rule confusing.

Mayor Eric Adams later addressed the issue. He agreed that it doesn't make sense, but says he's having a tough time figuring out if and when the indoor mandate should be lifted.

"I am really, really leery about sending the wrong message. Having this city close down again keeps me up at night," Adams said. "The rule was put in place. To start changing it now, I think it would send mixed messages."

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